Liquid-weighing apparatus.



PATENTED SEPT. l0, 1907.

E. W. VALBNTA. LIQUID WBIGH-ING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR 22 1907@n gg@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD W. VALENTA, OF GEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WESLEYA. VALENTA, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

LIQUIDJWEIGHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

Application filed April 22,1907. Serial No. 369,587.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. VALENTA, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, haveinvented ay new and useful Liquid-Weighing Apparatus, of -which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in liquid weighingapparatus, such as oil, gasolene and the like, which self-measuringdevices may be provided with price-computing parts.

The object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the liquid tobe measured is permitted to flow into a vessel until its weightoverbalances a counterweight so adjustable as to cause theover-balancing oi the counterweight by the liquid-receiving vessel whena certain predetermined quantity of liquid has flowed into said vessel,and means are provided, under the control of the parts supporting theliquid-receiving vessel, so that when the latter is caused to move onreceiving the predetermined quantity of liquid a valve in the supplypip'e is quickly closed. This closure of the valve is, after the valvehas been started toward the closed position, no longer under the controlof the parts carrying the liquid-receiving vessel, so that the closureof the valve may be so quickly accomplished as to be practicallyinstantaneous.

ln the practical embodiment of the invention, the liquid to be measuredis under the control of an overbalanced valve so arranged as to remainin the open position under a force slightly overbalancing it in theproper direction, but which valve, when moved through a small portion ofits range of travel toward the closed position, will come under theinfluence of the over-balancing means and be moved the remainder of thedistance toward the closed position irrespective of the initial impulsewhich started it toward the closed position. A suitable scale beam isprovided and this scale beam is so mounted as to receive aliquid-container to which the liquid coming through the valve may bedirected through a suitable spout. The scale beam is connected to thevalve-operating means in such manner that when the valve is open a smallmovement of the scale beam toward the over-balanced position will givethe initial movement to the valve necessary to cause it to move towardthe closed position. The scale beam is provided with a suitable mdexwhich may be provided with indications to show the position of asuitable weight in order that the scale beam may not be ovcrbala-nceduntil the determined quantity of liquid has been directed into thecontainer. The index on the scale beam may also provide priceindications so that the user of the device will not be compelled to makeany computations.

The invention will be fully understood from the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings formingpart of this specification, in which,-

Figure I shows a side elevation, partly in section and partly schematic,of the improved liquid weighing and computing device Fig. 2 is a detailview of the valve mechanism; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of a form ofindex device to be applied to the scale beam.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a tank 1 for the liquid which,in the present instance,.is supposed to be located below the main floor2 of the room or compartment containing the measuring means. The tank 1may be provided with a filling pipe 3 extending through the floor 2 andthere provided with a closing plug 4, and likewise this tank may have avent pipe 5 extending through the floor 2 and there provided withclosing plug 6. At an appropriate point above the floor 2, say upon aplatform 7, there is located an air pump S which may be of any ordinaryor approved construction. This air pump is connected by a pipe 9 to theupper side of the tank l, and from the lower side of the tank l thereleads another pipe l0 extending upward through the floor 2 andterminating at its upper end in a horizontal valve casing 11 containinga suitable valve of the rotary type. This valve is provided with a stem12 extending out from one side of the casing 11 and there carrying anarm 13 extending radially from the valve stem with relation to the axisthereof and terminating at the upper end in an enlargement or weight 14.The valve stem 12 also carries a rock arm 15, the function of which willbe hereinafter referred to. In the path of the arm 13 the valve casing11 carries two spaced pins 16 and 17, the pin 16 being so located thatthe arm 13 will rest against the same in a position slightly to one sideof the vertical, in which position the valve is open to the pipe 10 andto a suitable spout 1S leading from the valve casing 11. When the arm 13is in engagement with the pin 17 the valve will be closed to the pipe l0and spout 18. The arm 15 before referred to is provided with ahook-shaped finger 19 so arranged as to engage behind the arm 13, andthe before-mentioned arm 15 is loose upon the valve stem 12 so as toturn independently thereof.

Mounted upon the platform 7 is the standard 20 of suitable balancescales. Mounted in this standard 20 in the usual manner is a balancescale beam 21 carrying at its outer end a pendent, weight-receivingsupport 22 by means of a link 23, as'is customary. Close to the fulcrumpoint of the scale beam 21 the latter carries the usual support 24terminating in a platform 25 for the reception of a vessel 26 designedto receive liquid from the spout 18, the parts being so arranged thatwhen the container 2G is on the platform 25 it will be just under themouth of the spout 18.

Thescale beam is extended beyond its fulcrum into the container 26.

point to a sucient distance to clear the platform 25 and is thereconnected by a rod 27 to the free end ofthe arm 15 before mentioned.

On the scale beam there is mounted the usual sliding, adjustable Weight28, and other Weights may be placed upon the receiver 22, as may bedesired.

TWO indexes are provided for each side of the scale beam, one forgallons and fractional parts thereof such as quarts and pints, and theother for price indications. Now, since the prices may be changed fromtime to time, it is advisable to make the index-carrying parts separatefrom the scale beam, and for this reason such index is made as shown inFig. 3, Where one member 29 may represent both the quantity and priceindications and another member 30 may also represent both the price andquantity indications, While these tWO parts are connected at their endsby integral connecting strips 31 which may be so bent that the twomembers 29 and 30 Will lie parallel to each other so as to grasp thesides of the scale beam 21 with the connecting portions S1 straddlingthe said scale beam. The double indications may therefore be read fromeach side of the scale beam.

Now, let it be supposed that the tank 1 contains liquid and that theplugs 4 and 6 are in place in the pipes 3 and 5 respectively. Theoperator places the Container 26 upon the platform 25 which, in thepresent instance, Will cause the balance of the scale beam 21 When theWeight 28 is at the zero point. The Weight 28 is placed along the scalebeam at the point which, according to the index, shows the position ofthe Weight for the quantity of liquid it is desired to force The valveis opened 4by the manipulation of the weighted arm 13 so that the saidarm engages the pin 16 and the pump 8 is operated so as to force airinto the tank 1 Which will cause the liquid in the tank to rise in thepipe 10 and pass through the valve and spout 18 into the container 26.Instead of first opening the valve and then operating the air pump, thelatter may be operated before the valve is opened and then when the saidvalve is opened the liquid will be forced up through the pipe 10 by thepressure in the tank and out through the spout 18'. When the Weight ofthe liquid in the container 26 begins to overbalance the Weight 28 thearm 15 is moved in a direction to cause the finger 19 to pull the arm 18away from the pin 16 to and by the vertical plane cutting the axis ofthe valve Within the valve casing 11. This movement continues but ashort time before the Weight 14 has passed such vertical plane, when itimmediately gravitates in a direction to close the valve until arrestedby the engagement of the arm 13 with the pin 17. This action is, ofcourse, rapid and takes place much sooner than Would occur if themovement of the scale beam were depended upon to cause the `entiremovement of the valve from the open to the closed position. For thisreason the liquid may be very accurately measured, for in devices wherethe valve is slowly closed there is always danger of permitting toogreat a How of liquid after the scale beam has begun to HlOVC.

I claim:-

1. In a liquid weighing apparatus, means for Weighing the liquid, avalve controlling` the ow ot liquid through the weighing apparatus, anda dead-point valve-operating mechanism comprisingT a weighted armmovable manually past the deadpoint in one direction to open andmaintain the valve in the opened position and movable automatically pastthe dead-point in the other direction to carry the valve to the closelposition.

2. In a liquid weighing apparatus, a valve, a weighted arm connectedthereto, spaced stops in the path of said arm. one adjacent to thevertical plane of said arm to hold the latter in a position close to thepoint of deadcenter and another remote from' said vertical plane andcorresponding to the closed position of the valve. an arm loose on thevalve stein and having a finger engaginghehind the Weighted arm when thelatter is in the position correspondingv to the open position of thevalve, and means for movingthe loose arm to an extent suilicient tocarry the weighted arm past the dead-center.

In testimoniY that l claim the foregoing as my own, l liave heretoailixed my signature in the presence of two `witnesses.

EDYVARD TV. VALENTA.

Witnesses C, C. ITP'roN. W. A. VALnN'riL

